About Us
About District 99
Community High School District 99's two award-winning high schools, Downers Grove North High School and Downers Grove South High School serve a population of more than 65,000 residents and an enrollment of over 4,500 students from Downers Grove and Woodridge, as well as areas of Bolingbrook, Darien, Lisle, Oak Brook and Westmont. Our Transition 99 Center serves an additional 60+ students per year.
- Our Mission: Every day, the District 99 community works to provide a foundation for students to confidently pursue a future of their choosing.
- Our Vision: District 99 will graduate students equipped to realize their potential and positively impact their community and the larger world.
- Our Values: We care. We trust. We belong. We prepare. We evolve.
District 99 employs 700+ full-time staff members who work out of four office locations.
Office Locations
Strategic Plan
The Board of Education approved District 99’s strategic plan in May 2022. The plan was created through a collaborative process that included the input of students, staff, parents, school board members, business leaders and community members.
Our plan, Future Focused, Future Ready, reflects our commitment to ensure that all students graduate equipped to realize their potential and positively impact their community and the larger world.
Strategic Directions and Progress Reports
- An Equitable and Supportive Environment
- Growth of Student Ownership and Agency
- Increased Student Engagement in Post-Secondary Planning
- Recruitment, Retention and Support of High Quality Teachers and Staff
An Equitable and Supportive Environment
- Ensure safe and sustainable opportunities for all students and families, including access to district resources
- Develop and communicate common expectations for students and staff
- Build community, foster belonging and value the diverse perspectives of every member of our community
- Embed social and emotional learning, equitable and inclusive practices and restorative practices into all learning environments
- Prioritize open, two-way communication and authentic relationships by treating others with dignity, care and empathy
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Expectation |
Goals |
Measures of Success |
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100% of students and families will have a meaningful connection or be supported in establishing a meaningful connection within their school community. |
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2024-25 Progress Update
- Through a Relationship Mapping process, we discovered that students (as identified by our staff) have on average 7 positive connections with staff. There are significantly more connections identified as a student progresses through their high school career with the number of connections tripling by their 4th year.
- For the first time, D99 used the state's alternative climate survey, the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI): The results indicate positive categories (rankings of 3.5 or higher) across students, staff and families in the areas of support for academic learning, school connectedness, physical surroundings and respect for diversity. Items to address include rules and norms, teacher-student relationships from the perceptions of families, and administration and leadership effectiveness.
- The district examined student participation in co-curricular opportunities. Students who were not enrolled in a co-curricular were surveyed; 223 (11%) students at North and 482 (19%) students at South were not involved in an athletic program, activity or a responsibility outside of school. In the 2025-2026, school year we will use the feedback from the survey to expand offerings and encourage more student involvement in after-school opportunities.
- Fewer that 5% of students at North and South received a “B Code” violation for significant behaviors; fewer than 2% of students at North and fewer than 4% of students at South received 2 or more “B Code” violations. Of those students who completed the district's PATH (Pause, Act, Think, Heal) program intervention designed to help students reflect about their behavior and take responsibility, there was a recidivism rate of 14% at North and 17% at South.
Additional Resources:
Growth of Student Ownership and Agency
- Challenge students and hold them accountable in developing self-advocacy skills as well as respectful and responsible actions
- Demonstrate that students are valued partners by integrating student voice and choice in their learning and personal growth
- Help students develop a broader understanding, context and purpose of what they are learning and why they are learning it
- Develop experiences that foster an understanding of their role as global citizens
- Create a culture where students are equipped and empowered to realize their full potential
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Expectation |
Goals |
Measures of Success |
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100% of students will be accountable or be supported in their learning through their personal ownership and agency. |
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2024-25 Progress Update
- Daily attendance and levels of chronic absenteeism are rebounding from the low levels following the pandemic, but have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Improving attendance will be the primary area of focus in the 2025-2026 school year.
|
School |
Chronic Absenteeism Rate |
Attendance Rate |
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North High |
20.16% |
92.63% |
|
South High |
21.45% |
92.43% |
Illinois State Report Card Attendance Data:
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North High: Attendance Rate / Chronic Absenteeism
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South High: Attendance Rate / Chronic Absenteeism
- In the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year, 95% of all grades earned at North High and 91% of all grades earned at South High were a C or better. At North High, teachers made documented contact with parents for 74% of students earning a D and 88% of those earning an F. At South High, contact was made for 73% of students earning a D and 91% of those earning an F.
- For the 2023–2024 school year, 1% of students at North and 4% at South were identified for additional support by “Alpha Teams” (comprising a Counselor, Social Worker, Dean, SAP, and Student Success Coordinator). These identifications were based on key indicators: failing more than two courses, chronic absenteeism, and disciplinary concerns.
Increased Student Engagement in Post-Secondary Planning
- Help students develop practical life and leadership skills for the future
- Engage and support the role of families in post-secondary planning
- Increase student awareness of and exposure to a variety of options for life after high school, including expanding community partnerships
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Expectation |
Goals |
Measures of Success |
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100% of students will be fully prepared for the post high school experience of their choice. |
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2024-25 Progress Update
- A presentation will be made to the Board of Education in August 2025 regarding four-year plans.
- The total number of graduates in the class of 2023 and 2024 that completed a capstone course was above 95%
- A Capstone course meets two of the following criteria:
- AP or Dual Credit
- Highest level course(s) in a pathway
- Honors level/grade weighted
- Career based work experience
- Individual student experiences
- A Capstone course meets two of the following criteria:
Recruitment, Retention and Support of High Quality Teachers and Staff
- Ensure that staff understand, represent and reflect the diverse students and families served
- Provide professional learning that aligns with teacher/staff needs and district mission/vision, and is focused on best practices to meet the needs of every student
- Ensure that staff roles and responsibilities adapt to the diverse needs of students
- Nurture a culture of support and collaboration among all staff
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Expectation |
Goals |
Measures of Success |
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100% of staff members will experience and contribute to or will be supported in creating a collaborative and supportive culture of growth. |
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2024-25 Progress Update
- We did not achieve our goal of improving staff satisfaction to the desired level in the “Ownership and Input” area of the employee survey. However, we observed growth in several related areas: ownership and control of professional practice (+8%), feeling heard by school leaders (+2%) and the sense that staff can do what they do best each day (+6%). There was a slight decline in the feeling of being heard by district leaders (-1%). For the 2025–2026 school year, we will continue to prioritize the “Ownership and Input” area.
- Last year, professional learning opportunities were offered to all staff groups, emphasizing personalized development to meet individual needs as well as broader district priorities. In the 2025–2026 school year, a key focus will be training on Infinite Campus, the district’s new student information system.
Additional Resources - Illinois School Report Card:
Equity and Inclusion
District 99 cares about, accepts and respects all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex or disability and seeks to understand their unique ideas and perspectives so that they can be successful.
(If you need immediate assistance or have an urgent concern related to harassment or discrimination, please contact one of our Complaint Managers or make an anonymous complaint.)
District 99 embraces diversity and seeks to foster a positive and encouraging environment for our school community. One of our core values is “We Belong.” We believe everyone has a place and a voice in District 99. By valuing and actively seeking to understand the perspectives and unique backgrounds of those around us, we are able to shape and improve our practice based on what we have learned. Ultimately, we want to build strong relationships with students, rooted in understanding their unique backgrounds, so that they feel and know that they are respected and accepted, which helps to create optimal learning environments.
We have equity and inclusion coordinators at both North High and South High to help us instill a sense of belonging and advance a more inclusive culture. These team members work closely with all staff to welcome, support, and advocate for students and families from all cultural backgrounds, helping them navigate the school system. They are also equity leaders at their schools, supporting staff to promote a more equitable, culturally responsive learning environment.
Anyone in our community who would like support related to equity and inclusion, such as referring a family with a marginalized identity for support or seeking advice on how to navigate situations through an equity lens, is welcome to connect with an Equity and Inclusion Coordinator:
- Downers Grove North Equity and Inclusion Coordinators:
- Samiyah Nageeb (snageeb@csd99.org) and Kat Pantke (kpantke@csd99.org/630-795-8064)
- Downers Grove South Equity and Inclusion Coordinators:
- Nikki Golden (egolden@csd99.org/630-795-8500) and Georgina Cervantes (gcervantes@csd99.org/630-795-8940)
In addition to the Coordinators, District 99 plans and facilitates professional learning opportunities and applies equity work to student learning. Over the years, the district has provided in-depth, district-wide professional learning opportunities. In addition, over 100 employees have volunteered to participate in SEED, a peer-led professional learning program that promotes change through self-reflection.
Focusing on the Future
Student participation is essential for the equity and inclusion work at District 99 to be successful. Several student groups at each school are already focused on promoting equity and supporting marginalized students, and the district will continue to support these efforts.
History
History of Community High School District 99
Lincoln School (now the Lincoln Center on Maple Avenue) opened in 1879 and served both elementary and high school students until Downers Grove High School opened on Main Street in 1928.
- 1877 - High school students attend Lincoln School, a four-room building that also educates elementary students.
- 1893 - High school students move to Washington School, built in 1891, before moving back to Lincoln in 1913 after an addition was built.
- 1923 - Residents vote on February 17, 1923, to form District 99 as a separate
- high school district.
- 1927 - Voters approve the construction of a high school.
- 1928 - Downers Grove High School (now North High) opens, a three-story building with 20 classrooms and an auditorium/gymnasium, at Main Street and Prince Street.
- 1962 - Enrollment grows to 2,700, creating the need to rent space and buy portable classrooms. Voters approve the purchase of a 45-acre site at 63rd Street and Dunham for a second high school.
- 1964 - South High opens its doors to 700 freshmen and sophomores with 32 classrooms, a library, gym and basement track.
- 1966 - For the first time, South High serves all grades, serving 1,700 students and anticipating up to 2,500.
- 1998 - Voters overwhelmingly approve a $49.5 million expansion and renovation plan.
- March 2018 - Voters overwhelmingly approve addressing $136.6 million in capital facility improvements.
- August 2021 - The Master Facility Plan renovations are completed and dedication celebrations are held at DGN and DGS.
- February 17, 2023 - District 99 Celebrates its 100-Year Anniversary
For the privilege of flying the American Flag, we are responsible by law for lowering the flag when directed to do so by the president and/or the Illinois governor. If you'd like to learn more and follow the half-staff orders, you can visit halfstaff.org.